Deconstructing Martha: Martha's Mailable Baby Gifts?

Besides gift suggestions for moms, grads, and dads, Martha's May issue has an article dedicated to mailable baby gifts. Yes, mailable. I wasn't surprised to see some are my personal favorites featured in the article, but, the key word here is my, which didn't necessarily mean that Benjamin liked them even slightly.

Poor Sophie the giraffe. She's so cool in theory. Oh, my baby won't be knawing on pure lead? Check. She's super cute? Check. She's made of natural materials? Check. Well, Benjamin never gave Sophie a second glance and trust me if wasn't for my lack of trying. I mean, I paid 20 bucks for a teething toy and by gosh he was going to chew on it. Nope.

Martha also features a book entitled, "This is New York" by Miroslav Sasekas. We have the London and Paris editions, but since they have nothing to do with planes, trains, or automobiles, they've both fallen flat. *sigh*

Anyway, I did like one of her suggestions, but it's also something we've already done - making Benjamin his very own stationary. You're not surprised, are you? I heart stationary. Martha's idea was NYC centric and mine, since we don't live in NYC, isn't. As you now Benjamin is obsessed with all things that go, so we made train and firetruck stationary with card stock from the Paper Source. It's for his little thank you notes for any gifts he might receive. I ask, are you ever young to learn proper manners?

They're simple, the ink colors pop, and it was something that Benjamin and I could do together.

I was a little surprised that Martha didn't offer any ideas on handmade gifts. I mean this is her forte, no? Maybe she'd welcome one of my suggestions (perhaps not the most mail friendly, but very cute regardless). I recently hosted a baby shower and as part of the mother-to-be's gift, I made this for her - intertwining heart-shaped maps of their home towns.